He Walked Away
by kryscrossed
Summary: A songfic, again, to a song I wrote myself. A young woman is left on her own, whith her young son and a child on the way. Dealing with love lost, and a failed marriage is easier with a former newsie by her side. Set about ten years after the strike.


He Walked Away

_He took her by the hand_

_And told her of his love_

_He whispered promises in her ear_

_Said he'd always hold her dear_

_And she thought that it was true_

_She had found love at 22_

Marianne Henley smiled, Mark was being so sweet, he had packed a picnic lunch and led her down the path in Central Park holding her hand the whole way. Mark was a miracle in himself, Marianne had been sure, at 22 that she would never find love. She was sure her fate would be as an old maid, teaching at the old brick high school in Manhattan. But Mark had changed all that. He was the man that would save her from that fate.

"How's this?" He asked gesturing to a spot in the grass.

"Looks perfect," She said, smiling up at him, meeting his celery green eyes with her hazel ones. She still couldn't believe this man had chosen her, he seemed so perfect.

They sat together on a blanket in the grass, both enjoying fried chicken, biscuits and potato salad, sipping lemonade.

"Mari, do you know that I love you?"

Marianne smiled happily, "I love you too, Mark"

Suddenly Mark was sitting up, one knee resting on the ground, and pulling a box out of his shirt pocket, "Then Marianne Louisa Henley, will you marry me?"

Marianne gasped, happy tears filling her warm hazel eyes, "Oh, Mark! Yes, Mark Randolph Hearst, I will marry you!" she watched as he carefully slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.

"You don't have to teach anymore, I make enough money at the paper to support us," He continued, before leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips, "It's going to be a perfect life."

"I don't need perfect, Mark, I just need you."

Mark smiled, "Everybody needs perfect, and I'm gonna give it to you."

_When he walked away_

_She didn't think he could mean it_

_But he walked away_

_Went out the door and slammed it_

Marianne clung her baby boy to her chest, holding him tight, and trying not to cry. "Mark please, think about this, I'm sorry, please don't leave, we need you, Joshua, and me, and our new baby… we can't make it without you." She reached out to touch his arm, wanting to hold him back.

Mark shrugged her hand off, "Stop it, Marianne. I'm going, and there's nothing you can do about it." He shoved a few more shirts into his bag, muttering to himself, "My father told me it would be a waste to marry you. Said you were nothing more then a street rat who'd been lucky enough to get a job. I should have listened." Angrily he snapped the bag closed. "I've always been so stubborn… I'll have my lawyers bring over the divorce papers. Don't worry, you can keep the apartment. And of course I'll pay child support for the kids. They'll be taken care of. Maybe I'll come see them once a month or something. We'll work it out with the lawyers. Goodbye, Marianne. I'm sorry it turned out this way." And with that he was out the door, leaving the Marianne with their one year old son, and with another child on the way."

He didn't even look back as he walked out the door.

_He left without a word_

_His love it had run dry_

_Didn't know how she would get by_

_She didn't know how it could be_

_She had lost love at 23_

Marianne laid the sleeping Joshua in his crib tucking the blankets around him tightly, as tears of hopelessness slid down her cheeks. "Oh, Joshy. What are we going to do?"

She still couldn't quite believe it had happened, that Mark had left her. She sunk onto their bed… no… it was her bed now. Things had been a little rough the last few months… when Marianne actually started to think about it, she realized it had been since a little before Joshua was born. Something had happened… had changed between them, he had started staying later hours at the paper, and she was left alone at home to care for their son.

She pulled a pillow from her made bed, and hugged it to her chest, thinking.

_When he walked away_

_She didn't think he could mean it_

_But he walked away_

_Went out the door and slammed it_

A knock sounded at the door, and Marianne rose from the rocking chair where she had been feeding Joshua, placing him in his crib on the way to the door. She unlocked and pulled it open, revealing a young man in a business suit.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm David Jacobs, I'm here to deliver some papers." He said stiffly, as if this was not what he wanted to be doing with his time.

Marianne squeezed a shaky smile out at him, before inviting him inside.

"If I may explain these to you?" He asked, moving towards the table.

"Of course, Mr. Jacobs, please, sit down." Marianne's voice came out shakier then she intended, and she fought to keep her eye's from welling with tears.

"Please, call me David," He said, softening to this obviously hurting lady. David looked her over again, taking in this young woman, who was dealing with this disaster by herself. As a rule, he didn't approve of divorce, but after meeting with Mark Hearst earlier that day, he couldn't help but think she would be better off without him. Settling in a chair at the table, he opened a manila envelope, sliding out several papers. He began to explain what each of them was, pointing out where she would need to sign. She winced visibly when she saw Mark's scrawled signature across each of the documents, and carefully added her signature to each of them.

David smiled kindly at her as he stopped at the door of her apartment, "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hearst, it was nice meeting you, even though the circumstances were less then desirable."

"Please, call me Marianne, and thank you for your help."

"I'll be in touch, we'll still have some more paperwork for you to sign."

"Of course."

_But this is where the tables turn_

_This is where her strength was shown_

_She didn't shatter, tear or break_

_Although her heart was stiff with ache_

_She packe her bags, and held her son_

_She knew this war it must be won_

"Well, that's it." David said, snapping his briefcase shut, "That's the last bit of paperwork."

Marianne smiled, resting her hand on her swiftly swelling belly. It had been two months since the first time she had met David, and she felt as if she had known him forever. "David, thank you so much for all your help. Your kindness means more to me then you could ever know."

David smiled at her, gazing into her dreamer's hazel eyes, and wondering at her beauty, especially now, in her pregnancy. "Anything for you Marianne, you know that."

She walked him to the door, smiling as her turned back to her. "Uh, Marianne, I don't suppose you'd like to… have dinner with me… I mean, I know this may be kind of awkward for you, and incredibly bad timing on my part, but I'd really like the chance to get to know you better."

Marianne averted her eyes, swallowing hard. She hadn't considered the prospect of seeing men again. She had just assumed that she would live out the rest of her days, raising her children by herself, somehow making it by. "I'd like that. But Joshua, I don't have anybody to watch him."

"My sister could watch him. She has three children of her own, I'm sure she wouldn't mind watching him. She and her husband have an apartment right next to mine, it would be no problem"

"Well, if your sure…" She said uncertainly.

_When he walked away_

_He didn't know what he was leaving_

_But he walked away_

_Left the only girl he ever needed_

David stopped by Marianne's apartment, and picked her and Joshua up, taking them both to his sister's apartment.

"Marianne, I'd like you to meet my sister, Sarah, and her husband Jack… and these three little rug rats are their kids, Michael, Victoria, and little Jack Jr." David grinned as his nephews and niece leaped up and tackled him in hugs. Jack pulled Sarah to his side, as David continued, "This is Marianne, and her son, Joshua"

Sarah and Jack both smiled at her, "It's nice to meet you Marianne, and we're glad to look after Joshua for you."

"I really appreciate it." Marianne replyed, smiling back at them she handed Joshua to Sarah

"So, you ready?" David asked, offering his arm.

Marianne smiled at him nervously, taking his arm, "I'm ready"

Together they walked out the door. They went to a new restaurant, downtown, nicer then any she had ever been too. The host led them to their seats, and handed them menus as they settled into their chairs.

Suddenly Marianne froze, her eyes locked on a couple entering the restaurant.

"Are you ok?" David asked, his blue eyes concerned. Marianne didn't respond, and David turned in his seat, following her stare. Following the host to a table was Mark, and a woman neither of them had ever seen before.

"Oh, no." Marianne said, visibly paling at the sight of her now former husband.

"Uh, maybe we should leave… I can take you to a different restaurant."

But it was too late, Mark had already spotted her, and leaving the unknown woman at the table, he came over to their table. "It's good to know there are respectable lawyers in this city, who don't take their client's leftovers."

Marianne's face flamed red, at this, and she beat the glaring David to answering him. "That's enough Mark. We're leaving"

David stood, and helped Marianne from her chair, as Mark glared at them both.

They left, together, leaving Mark to stare at their retreating figures, an unbidden sense of jealousy coming at seeing his ex-wife out with another man.

_And now she has found love so true_

_The kind that doesn't turn it's back_

_But struggles on through every trial_

_It will walk on mile after mile_

_She didn't know this could be real_

_Or how true love could really feel_

"It's a girl." The nurse told the pacing David. "You can go in and see her if you'd like."

David, forgetting his manners for the moment, brushed past the nurse, and into the bedroom, where an exhausted Marianne lay with a baby, wrapped tightly in a bundle of blankets held in her arms.

"Do you want to come see her? Her name is Nicole. Nicole Christine."

"She's beautiful." David said, leaning down and kissing Marianne on the forehead. It had been 4 months since the first run in with Mark, and Marianne and David had continued to see each other, as often as possible. "Marianne. I have a question for you."

"What is it?" She asked, as he adjusted a pillow behind her back.

Clearing his throat, David sat on the edge of the bed, taking Marianne by the and that wasn't holding little Nicole, "I'd like you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

Marianne gasped, thinking of the man who had first asked her that question.

"Hey," David said, tipping her chin up to look at him, "I'm not Mark. I would never hurt you. Never."

"I know." Marianne answered, "I know you wouldn't." taking a deep breath, Marianne answered his question, "I would love to marry you. To be your wife."

David grinned at her. "I love you" he said, kissing her.

"I love you, too."

"And I would like to adopt Joshua, and Nicole. If that's ok with you I mean. I want to make them my children."

Marianne's eyes filled with tears. "Of course it's ok with me! There's nothing I would like more.


End file.
